Argentina’s football star and 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning captain, Lionel Messi, was unveiled on Monday night as the 2023 France Football Ballon d’Or winner.
The former Barcelona FC forward, who now plays for MLS club Inter Miami, has now won eight Ballon d’Or awards (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023), while his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times but has received the most nominations (18).
Messi beat Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and 2022 World Cup topscorer Kylian Mbappe, who were ranked second and third, respectively.
According to France Football, there were significant changes to the 2023 Ballon d’Or evaluation criteria.
Individual performance and the candidate’s decisive and impressive character take precedence over the collective aspect and trophies won, as well as the player’s class and sense of fair play.
The Ballon d’Or has been awarded every year since 1956, except 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below is a list of all the winners of the Ballon d’Or since 1956
| 2023 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema (France) |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2020 | Not awarded due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2018 | Luka Modric (Croatia) |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2007 | Kaká (Brazil) |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro (Italy) |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho (Brazil) |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine) |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedvěd (Czechia) |
| 2002 | Ronaldo (Brazil) |
| 2001 | Michael Owen (England) |
| 2000 | Luís Figo (Portugal) |
| 1999 | Rivaldo (Brazil) |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane (France) |
| 1997 | Ronaldo (Brazil) |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer (Germany) |
| 1995 | George Weah (Liberia) |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria) |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio (Italy) |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten (Netherlands) |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin (France) |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthäus (Germany) |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten (Netherlands) |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten (Netherlands) |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit (Netherlands) |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov (Soviet Union) |
| 1985 | Michel Platini (France) |
| 1984 | Michel Platini (France) |
| 1983 | Michel Platini (France) |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi (Italy) |
| 1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany) |
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany) |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan (England) |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan (England) |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen (Denmark) |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany) |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union) |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff (Netherlands) |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff (Netherlands) |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany) |
| 1971 | Johan Cruyff (Netherlands) |
| 1970 | Gerd Müller (West Germany) |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera (Italy) |
| 1968 | George Best (Northern Ireland) |
| 1967 | Flórián Albert (Hungary) |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton (England) |
| 1965 | Eusébio (Portugal) |
| 1964 | Denis Law (Scotland) |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin (Soviet Union) |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1961 | Omar Sívori (Italy) |
| 1960 | Luis Suárez (Spain) |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina) |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa (France) |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina) |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews (England) |
